Toxins (Basel)
Laboratory of Toxinology, Department of Clinical Analysis, Toxicology and Food Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo-USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP 14040-903, Brazil.
Published: April 2018
Venom composition varies across snakes from all taxonomic levels and is influenced by the snakes’ age, habitat, diet, and sexual dimorphism. The present study reports the first in-depth investigation of venom composition in male and female () snakes (BmooM and BmooF, respectively) through three proteomics approaches associated with functional, cytotoxic, and immunoreactivity characterization. Compared with BmooM venom, BmooF venom exhibited weaker hyaluronidase, metalloproteinase, and phospholipase activity; stronger recognition by anti-bothropic serum; 1.4-fold stronger cytotoxicity; and greater number of peptides. The increased L-amino acid oxidase expression probably accounted for the stronger immunoreactivity and cytotoxicity of BmooF venom. BmooF and BmooM venom shared only 19% peptides. Some venom components were gender-specific, such as phospholipases B, phospholipase inhibitor, and hyaluronidases in BmooM, and cysteine-rich secretory proteins in BmooF. In conclusion, we describe herein the first proteomics study of snake venom and an in-depth characterization of gender-specific differences in venom composition. Altogether, our findings not only stress the importance of considering the snake’s gender during antivenom production, but also help to identify new potential drugs and biotechnological tools.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/toxins10050177 | DOI Listing |
Biology (Basel)
December 2024
Faculty of Basic Sciences, King Salman International University (KSIU), Ras Sudr 46612, South Sinai, Egypt.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a critical global health threat, driving the search for alternative treatments to conventional antibiotics. In this study, the antibacterial properties of honeybee venom (BV) and fungal red dye (RD) were evaluated against three multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens. Extracts of BV and RD exhibited dose-dependent antibacterial activity against the three tested bacteria, with their strongest effectiveness against (minimum inhibitory concentrations [MIC] = 3.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNature
January 2025
Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
Snakebite envenoming remains a devastating and neglected tropical disease, claiming over 100,000 lives annually and causing severe complications and long-lasting disabilities for many more. Three-finger toxins (3FTx) are highly toxic components of elapid snake venoms that can cause diverse pathologies, including severe tissue damage and inhibition of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, resulting in life-threatening neurotoxicity. At present, the only available treatments for snakebites consist of polyclonal antibodies derived from the plasma of immunized animals, which have high cost and limited efficacy against 3FTxs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMolecules
December 2024
Faculty of Chemistry, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, ul. Zwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089 Warsaw, Poland.
In this study, we explore the interactions between melittin, a cationic antimicrobial peptide, and model lipid membranes composed of the negatively charged phospholipids 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoglycerol (DMPG) and 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoserine (DMPS). Using the Langmuir monolayer technique and atomic force microscopy (AFM), we reveal novel insights into these interactions. Our key finding is the observation of the ripple phase in the DMPS bilayer on mica, a phenomenon not previously reported for negatively charged single bilayers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArch Toxicol
January 2025
Department of Integrative Biology, School of Bioscience and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, 632014, Tamil Nadu, India.
Front Immunol
January 2025
Discipline of Medical Biochemistry, School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a condition characterized by joint deterioration through the action of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), is prevalent worldwide. Bee venom (BV) has traditionally been used in Chinese medicine for pain, arthritis, rheumatism, skin diseases, etc. BV is enriched with active substances, notably melittin and phospholipase A2 (PLA2), offering significant therapeutic potential.
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